Territory



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

H. L. BOTSFORD.

HAY LOADER.

Patented July 9, 1889.

WIZ'JVZ and;

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

H. L. BOTSPORD.

HAY LOADER.

No. 406,699; Patented July 9,1889;

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet- 3.

H; LfBoTsPonn.

HAY LOADER.

No. 406,699. d Patented July 9, 1889..

1mm CIYIIIHHHIIIII mmmm l I I W lam-12 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. BOTSFORD, OF CLIFTON, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

HAY-LQADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,699, dated July 9,1889.

Application filed November 2'7, 1888 T0 all whom it 7mm] concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. BOTSFORD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Clifton, in the "county of Sully and Territory ofDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHay-Loaders; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved hay-loader. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail plan view of the coupling-link F and its adj unctiveparts. Fig; 5 is a detail view of the block T andwheel Q, together withtheir adj unctive parts.

This invention relates to improvements in hay-loaders; and it consistsin the construction and novel arrangement of parts, as hereinafter setforth, and pointed out in the claims.

The loader is designed to be secured to the rear end of a hay-wagon andto be drawn therewith over the swath or windrow of hay, and the loaderis so constructed that the rake may be released to pass over largestones or other obstructions by a man on the load of hay, andextension-legs are provided that may be lowered to the ground by the manon the load when it is desired to support the loader detached from thewagon.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A des ignates the inclined sidebars of the draft or main frame, which are secured at their rear ends tothe vertical bearing-strips 13, connected transversely by the hollow barC, through which the driving axle or shaft D has its hearing. The shaftD has the drive-wheels E rigidly secured to its outer ends, and byplacing the shaft within the hollow bar C the said shaft cannotinterfere with or clog the hay while revolving.

To attach the loader to a wagon, the link F is provided, which ispivotally secured to the cross-bar G of bars G, depending from theelevator-frame Q, by means of a bolt passing through said crossbar andthe open- SerialNo. 291,987. (No model.)

ing a in the link, which is elongated, so that the link may be movedlengthwise should it become necessary while coupling. The shank portionof the coupling-link is normally seated in the notch Z) in the frame H,which is secured to and projects forward from the crossbar G, and thearc slot 0 is formed in said frame, so that the link may be movedlaterally while coupling to the coupling-pin din the block I, which isbolted to the frame-work or rack of the wagon, said coupling-pin beingretained in its lower position by an encircling coiled spring (1'. Acord c extends from the pin (1 to any convenient point on the frame ofthe loader within reach of the person on the wagon, so that the pinmaybe operated therefrom. J shows extension-legs adapted to move in theguides f, secured to the loader-frame, and having the racks K engagingwith the gears L on the shaft M, having journal-bearings through theextended portion M of the elevator-frame, as shown. A crank N is securedon one end of the shaft M, by means of which the legs may be lowered tothe ground from the load in the wagon when it is desired to disconnectthe loader from the wagon, and a dog g, engaging with one of the gears,holds t-he'legs as adjusted either up or down.

O is an endless carrier turning on the pulleys P P, havingjournal-bearings in the elevator-frame Q. The journal of the pulley P isextended outward through the frame at one end, as shown, and has looselymounted upon it the sprocket-wheel Q, which is driven by the chain R,and the sprocket-wheel S 011 the shaft D. The sprocket-wheel Q isprovided with clutch-arms m, designed to engage with the arms at on theclutch-block T, which has an angular longitudinal opening adapt-ed tofit upon the extended angular portion 0 of the journal, which is longenough to allow the block to be drawn outward to disengage the arms orand m, thus throwing the carrier out of gear when it is'desired totransport the loader from' fieldto field. When drawn outward, thespring-keeperp, secured to the block T, enters the notch q in theangular portion of the journal and prevents the block from being whollywithdrawn.

A shows the spring rake-teeth secured at their upper ends to the bar Bof the frame C, which has journal-bearings on the upper portion of thestrips B, held therein, it may be, by button-like plugs (not shown)secured to said strips B and entering the unoccupied portions of thesaid bearings, and the said teeth extend rearwardly through theguidestaples a on the bar D of the frame 0, and thence downward andinward to a contact with the ground. The frame C is held rigidly inplace by the dog I), pivoted at one end to the strip B and engaging atits other end with the barD, forming the lower end of the frame C,comprising the inclined side bars 01 secured at their lower or outerends upon the ends of the shaft D, which ends are in turn supported inrecesses in the brackets (1 secured to the strips 13. The lower orengaging end of the dog bhas an angular recess or notch, which receivesthe corresponding portion 12 of the shaft D. When it is desired torelease the frame to allow the rake-teeth to ride over an obstruction,the dog I) may be released by means of a chain or rope c, which issecured at one end to the dog Z) and passes over a pulley c on a supportor post 0 secured to one of the side bars (Z to a point at the upper endof the loader within reach of a person on the loaded wagon. The staplesa, however, allow sufficient play for the teeth to ride over smallstones or through small obstruetions.

,E is the feeding-roller, having the projections thereon, having journalhearings in the strips B near the lower ends, and the said feed-rolleris revolved in'a direction opposite that of the endless carrier by meansof the pinion F on the extended journal meshing with the pinion G on theshaft D.

H designates fingers secured to the rockshaft 1, journaled in bearings011 the pendent bars or portions J, depending from the side bars. Thesaid fingers normally stand at an angle with their lower ends toward therake teeth, and are designed to ride upon the surface of the ground hayis raked up by or hay, so that when the the rake-teeth it will be piledupon the upper sides of the fingers, and the hay will be forced throughthe throat K to the carrier by the revolving feed-roller. These fingers11 may be dispensed with when the loader is operating in long hay orgrain; but in short hay, or hay thinly spread upon the ground, it isdesirable to use the fingers, as described. v

A skeleton guide-board L is pivoted, as at L at its lower end within theelevator-frame above the endless carrier, and is designed to prevent thehay thereon from blowing off, its upper portion being suitably supportedin position by across-bar L applied thereto and resting upon the upperedges of the elevatorframe Q. The object in pivoting the guideboard isso that the hay will not pile up or become choked 011 the carrier.

Having described my invention, .what I claim is 1. The combination, withthe endless carrier, the pulleys, and the driving mechanism, thesprocket'wheel of the driving mechanism being loosely mounted on theextended journal of one of the pulley-shafts, the clutcharms thereonextending in opposite directions, of the clutch-block having the angularlongitudinal opening engaging an angular portion of the extendedjournal, said angular portion having a notch, the vertical arms thereon,and the spring-keeper, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the loader-frame, the side pieces B, wheels E,the-shaft D, and the rake-teeth, of the rock-shaft having journaledbearings in the depending portions of the frame and located in front ofthe raketeeth, the rearwardly-inclined fingers secured to saidrock-shaft, and the feed-roller having the projections and operated bythe pinions on the wheel-axle, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HARRY L. BOTSFORD.

' lVitnesses:

JULIA A. BROWN, J. H. GROPENGIESER.

